Have you ever been typing a simple word, like 'door,' over and over again, only to suddenly feel like it looks foreign, almost as if you’ve never seen it before? Or perhaps you've been driving the same route to work and suddenly it all feels weirdly unfamiliar, even though you know it's the same route you take each day. That unsettling feeling of the familiar turning unfamiliar has a name: jamais vu.
Most people have heard of déjà vu, the eerie sensation that something new is somehow familiar. But jamais vu flips that experience on its head. It's when someone encounters something that they are familiar with, but for a brief instant, it seems utterly foreign or new. While the sensation is usually transient and harmless, it can be profoundly discomforting, especially when it happens out of the blue.
We spoke to Dr Bhushan Patil, Consultant Psychiatrist, AIMS Hospital, Dombivli, Mumbai, who explained jamais vu, its causes, and how it affects brain health.
What Is Jamais Vu?
Jamais vu, French for 'never seen,' is the sensation of unfamiliarity in a familiar situation. Unlike déjà vu, where new events feel strangely recognisable, jamais vu leaves you questioning reality, making the ordinary suddenly feel alien. “It’s essentially a temporary recognition failure,” explains Dr Patil. “You know you’ve been here or done this before, but for a moment, your brain isn’t able to fully connect that feeling of familiarity.”
One controlled study replicated jamais vu by asking participants to repeatedly write a word around 30 times. Nearly 70% reported feeling it looked unfamiliar, a phenomenon called word alienation.
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How It Differs from Déjà Vu: In Experience and the Brain
Déjà vu is thought to occur when there’s a brief glitch in how the brain retrieves memories, almost as if your mind mistakenly flags a new experience as one you’ve already lived through. Jamais vu, on the other hand, happens when the brain temporarily fails to recognise something it already knows. “Brain-wise, déjà vu relates to memory recall glitches, whereas jamais vu involves short-term recognition failures,” said Dr Patil.
Why Does It Happen?
For most people, jamais vu is nothing more than a quirky brain hiccup, often triggered by stress, fatigue, or mental overload. “When we’re sleep-deprived, anxious, or juggling too many tasks, the brain’s recognition system can get momentarily scrambled,” notes Dr Patil. These moments typically pass quickly and don’t point to anything serious.
However, if it happens often or disrupts daily life, it could indicate something more significant. Jamais vu can even be caused by neurological disorders, such as temporal lobe epilepsy, migraine auras, or dissociative disorders. When this occurs, the experience may be associated with seizures or episodes during which perception and memory are disturbed.
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What’s Happening in the Brain?
Jamais vu involves disruptions in short-term memory and recognition pathways, possibly within the temporal lobe, the brain area tied to memory and perception. “It’s not just about memory errors,” Dr Patil adds. “There’s also a perceptual misinterpretation, where the context feels off, making the familiar seem strangely alien.”
Should You Be Concerned?
Occasional bouts of jamais vu, especially when tired or distracted, are generally nothing to worry about. It’s common to experience it during mundane tasks like typing, driving, or speaking. But persistent occurrences, particularly if accompanied by confusion, blackouts, or other neurological symptoms, require medical assessment. "If it's ongoing or affecting your daily functioning, consult an expert without delay,” advises Dr Patil.
Bottomline
Jamais vu is one of the brain’s many peculiar quirks, unsettling in the moment but, in most cases, harmless. Recognising it for what it is can help ease the anxiety it brings. If it’s happening frequently or alongside other symptoms, though, it could be a sign of something more serious and should be checked by a doctor.
Most importantly, remember that occasional brushes with jamais vu aren’t a sign your brain is failing you; they’re simply a reminder of how complex and mysterious our minds truly are.
[Disclaimer: This article contains information provided by an expert and is for informational purposes only. Hence, we advise you to consult your professional if you are dealing with any health issue to avoid complications.]